LONG STORY SHORT: A NOVEL, by Serena Kaylor, Wednesday Books, July 26, 2022, Hardcover, $18.99 (young adult, ages 14 and up)
Before heading off to Oxford, a brilliant teen must prove she can make friends in Long Story Short, by Serena Kaylor.
Growing up homeschooled in Berkeley, California, Beatrice Quinn has always dreamed of discovering new mathematical challenges at Oxford University. She always thought the hardest part would be getting in, not convincing her parents to let her go. But while math has always made sense to Beatrice, making friends is a problem she hasn’t been able to solve. Before her parents will send her halfway across the world, she has to prove she won’t spend the next four years hiding in the library.
The compromise: the Connecticut Shakespearean Summer Academy and a detailed list of teenage milestones to check off. If Beatrice wants to live out her Oxford dream, she has to survive six weeks in the role of “normal teenager” first.
Unfortunately, hearts and hormones don’t follow any equations. When she’s adopted by a group of eclectic theater kids, and immediately makes an enemy of the popular ― and annoyingly gorgeous ― British son of the camp’s founders, Beatrice quickly learns that relationships are trickier than calculus. With her future on the line, this girl genius stumbles through illicit parties, double dog dares, and more than her fair share of Shakespeare. But before the final curtain falls, will Beatrice realize there’s more to life than what she can find in the pages of a book? —Synopsis provided by Wednesday Books
When Shakespeare is at the heart of a novel, then said novel needs to be up-to-par. In the case of Long Story Short, author Serena Kaylor not only pays homage, she makes Shakespeare’s work exciting and accessible to fans and novices alike.
At the center of Long Story Short is Beatrice, a teenage mathematical genius with an eidetic memory who, after being homeschooled her whole life, dreams of attending Oxford. Beatrice has some serious “personality quirks” — eating a specific meal for each day of the week, wearing the same “uniform” every day, not wanting to take part in social situations. Some of these peculiarities come from being a very smart, homeschooled kid, but her behavior also reads as someone who is neurodivergent, which Kaylor never really addresses.
Theater camp is the exact opposite of Beatrice’s life in every way, and it’s fun (and many times moving) to watch her explore and learn from new experiences. Anyone who was/is ever socially awkward will immediately relate to Beatrice. Her social anxiety is palpable. She feels authentic from the first page to the last.
So, too, do Kaylor’s supporting characters, especially Beatrice’s new friends Mia and Nolan. This dynamic duo add color, laughter and a layer of glitz to Long Story Short. They are friends in the true sense — immediately coming to Beatrice’s defense while holding her to the same standard they hold themselves. Neither is afraid to put Beatrice in her place when needed, and yet, it’s always done with compassion. Most importantly, they give her room to grow.
As the love interest, Nik begins out a bit formulaic — hot, British, rich, etc. He turns out to be a lot more layered — thank goodness — as does Beatrice’s “enemy.”
Long Story Short is one of the better young adult romances out this summer. Its characters are nuanced. Its pacing is spot on. And it’s just plain fun to read.
Copyright © 2022 Cracking the Cover. Unless otherwise noted, all books — digital and physical — have been provided by publishers in exchange for honest and unbiased reviews. All thoughts and opinions are those of the reviewer.
